Características agronómicas y calidad nutricional de los frutos y semillas de zapallo Cucurbita sp.

The Butternut Squash is food security in ancient pre-Columbian America for its agronomic plasticity and culinary versatility. Today its value in use is evident in both its diversity within the genus Cucurbita and 20-27 species, where the most used are: Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata, C. pepo, C. argyrosperma; C. ficifolia. The high biological value in the pulp (80% in vitro digestibility) and oil in the seeds (45%), where 55% are unsaturated (56% linoleic acid) fatty. The processed pumpkin is a competitive and sustainable raw material for agro food industry, and is a source of carotenoids, lutein, Vitamima A, Vitamin C, starch, long chain polyunsaturated oils, and this entire means an increase in research in squash due to its comprehensive utility in the pulp and seed.El zapallo es seguridad alimentaria en América ancestral precolombina por su plasticidad agronómica y versatilidad culinaria. En la actualidad su valor de uso es evidente, tanto en su diversidad dentro del género Cucurbita y sus 20 a 27 especies, donde las más utilizadas son: Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata, C. Pepo, C. argyrosperma; C. ficifolia. El alto valor biológico en la pulpa (80% de digestibilidad in vitro) y aceite en las semillas (45%), donde el 55% son ácidos grasos insaturados (56% de ácido linoleíco). El zapallo procesado es una materia prima competitiva y sostenible para la industria agroalimentaria, y es fuente de carotenoides, luteina, Vitamima A, Vitamina C, almidones, aceites polinsaturados de cadena larga, y todo ello supone un aumento en la investigación en zapallo debido a su utilidad integral, tanto en la pulpa como en la semilla

Fusion of PET / CT neuroimaging using a Wavelet-based and the Haar discrete transform scheme

[EN] In neurosciences, imaging techniques are used to diagnose diseases and assist in surgical interventions to determine the exact location and size of a tumor. International research has used different techniques for the fusion of Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography because it allows us to observe metabolic functions in correlation with anatomical structures. From the study of these techniques and algorithms a software was developed that performs the fusion of neuroimaging, using the fusion scheme based on Wavelet. Bicubic interpolation was used to correct the images. As a discrete Wavelet transform, Haar's was used. An evaluation of the quality of the resulting images was performed, obtaining 512 × 512 × 24 bit resolution images and a signal-to-noise ratio with values greater than 18. It was verified by histograms that the merged image contains more information than the input images independent.[ES] En neurociencias se utilizan técnicas imagenológicas para el diagnóstico de enfermedades y la asistencia en intervenciones quirúrgicas para determinar la ubicación y dimensión exactas de un tumor. Investigaciones a nivel internacional han utilizado diferentes técnicas para la fusión de la Tomografía por Emisión de Positrones y la Tomografía Computarizada debido a que permite observar las funciones metabólicas en correlación con las estructuras anatómicas. A partir del estudio de estas técnicas y algoritmos se desarrolló un software que realiza la fusión de neuroimágenes, utilizando el esquema de fusión basado en Wavelet. Para el corregistro de las imágenes se utilizó la interpolación Bicúbica. Como transformada discreta de Wavelet se utilizó la de Haar. Se realizó una evaluación de la calidad de las imágenes resultantes, obteniendo imágenes de resolución 512 × 512 × 24 bits y una relación señal-ruido con valores superiores a 18. Se comprobó mediante histogramas que la imagen fusionada contiene más información que las imágenes de entrada independientes.Este trabajo ha sido realizado parcialmente gracias al apoyo del Centro de Informática Médica de la Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas de la Habana y el Centro de Neurociencias de Cuba CNEURO, por el apoyo logístico y asesoría especializada en temas de Neuroinformática.Orellana, A.; Rodríguez, R.; Yanes, D.; Valdés-Sosa, P. (2020). Fusión de neuroimágenes de PET/CT utilizando un esquema basado en Wavelet y la transformada discreta de Haar. Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática industrial. 18(1):75-81. https://doi.org/10.4995/riai.2020.12977OJS7581181Huang, H. K. 2010. PACS and imaging informatics: basic principles and applications. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-470-37372-9.Nitske, W. R. 1971. The life of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, discoverer of the X ray. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.Fenoll, I.G., 2010. Aportaciones a la segmentación y caracterización de imágenes médicas 3D. Capitulo II. Imágenes Médicas, Madrid: sn.Calzado, A. and Geleijns, J., 2010. Tomografía computarizada. Evolución, principios técnicos y aplicaciones. Revista de Física Médica, 11.Martí-Climent, J.M., Velloso, M.G., Serra, P., Boán, J.F. and Richter, J.A., 2005. Tomografía por emisión de positrones con un equipo PET/TAC. Revista Española de Medicina Nuclear, 24, 60-76. https://doi.org/10.1157/13070362Ladrón de Guevara, H. & Pefaur, D. R. 2010. PET/CT en cáncer pulmonar. Revista médica de Chile. 138, 1441-1450. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0034-98872010001200015Maldonado, A., Suárez, J.P., Cuesta, F.S., Madrid, J.R., Martín, F., Alenda, J.G., Alonso, M. and Sierra, J., 2005. Aportación de la imagen PET-CT a la patología oncológica de cabeza y cuello. Acta Otorrinolaringológica Española, 56, 453-458. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-6519(05)78647-7Jadvar, H., Leader, D., Pole, W.S., Bartel, T., Chen, D., Delbeke, D., Esposito, G., Graham, M., Grant, F., Herscovitch, P. and Metzger, R., 2018. SNMMI scientific delegation to Cuba. J Nucl Med, 59, p.15N.Kluetz, P.G., Meltzer, C.C., Villemagne, V.L., Kinahan, P.E., Chander, S., Martinelli, M.A. and Townsend, D.W., 2000. Combined PET/CT imaging in oncology: impact on patient management. Clinical Positron Imaging, 3, 223-230. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1095-0397(01)00055-3Vaishali P. & kinjal M. 2013. A Review on Different Image Interpolation Techniques for Image Enhancement. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS). 3.Shreyas F. 2014. Image Interpolation Techniques in Digital Image Processing: An Overview. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications. 4, 70-73.Singh Yadav, R.N. & Agarwal H. 2015. Medical Image Fusion Using Wavelet Transform. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS).1. https://doi.org/10.1109/CSNT.2012.36Candmes, E. J. & Donoho, D. L.1999. Ridgelets: The key to higher dimensional intermittency. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1999.0444Candmes, E. J. & Donoho, D. L. 2000. Curvelets A surprisingly effective non adaptive representation for objects with edges. Saint-Malo Proceedings.Espada, L., Sanjurjo, M., Urrejola, S., Bouzada, F., Rey, G. & Sanchez, A. 2003. Ventajas del análisis Wavelet sobre el análisis de Fourier para la interpretación del ruido electroquímico. Revista de metalurgia. 39, 72-79. https://doi.org/10.3989/revmetalm.2003.v39.iExtra.1100Gonzalez-Audicana, M., Saleta, J.L., Catalan, R.G., Garcia, R., 2004. Fusion of multispectral and panchromatic images using improved IHS and PCA mergers based on wavelet decomposition. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 42, 1291-1299. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2004.825593Zhang, Y., Hong, G., 2005. An IHS and wavelet integrated approach to improve pan-sharpening visual quality of natural colour IKONOS and Quick Bird images. Information Fusion 6, 225-234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inffus.2004.06.009López, F., Verdú, R., Naranjo, V., Morales, J., González, P. & Larrey. J. 2012. Registro variacional de imágenes con contraste de TC de hígado: implementación eficiente y efecto de la interpolación.Graps, A. 1995. An Introduction to Wavelets. IEEE Computational Science and Engineering. 2. https://doi.org/10.1109/99.388960Marín, A. 2013. Implementación y Evaluación de Algoritmos de Fusión de Imágenes en el contexto de las Imágenes Médicas. Universidad Politécnica de CartagenaDaza, A.P., Parra, J.F. and Espinosa, L.M., 2016. Metodología de representación de software orientada al desarrollo ágil de aplicaciones: Un enfoque arquitectural. Revista Electrónica Redes De Ingeniería, 7. https://doi.org/10.14483/udistrital.jour.redes.2016.1.a3Haribabu, M., Hima, B. & Satya, K. P. 2013. A New Approach of medical image fusion using discrete wavelet transform. ACEEE Int. J. on Signal & Image Processing. 4. DOI: 01. IJSIP.4.2.James, A.P. and Dasarathy, B.V., 2014. Medical image fusion: A survey of the state of the art. Information Fusion, 19, 4-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inffus.2013.12.00

Frecuencia y factores relacionados con la aparición de cardiopatía isquémica en diabéticos tipo 2

Introduction: the amount of persons with diabetes mellitus (DM) has dramatically increased in the last years, becoming a worldwide health problem.Objective: to determine the frequency and factors related to the presence of ischemic cardiopathy in people with type II diabetes mellitus.Method: it was performed a transverse and descriptive study with 1005 patients hospitalized in the Diabetic Care Center of Bayamo, Granma in the period between September  2008 to June  2011.Results: from the amount of the studied cases, 108 (10, 7 %) presented ischemic cardiopathy. In the uni-varied analysis it was observed that hypertension ( OR: 4,61, IC: 2.4-8.5, p 0,0000 ), women´s age ≥55 and men ≥45 years ( OR: 4,38, IC:2.5-7.5, p 0,0000 ), the hypertriglyceridemia ( OR: 2,44, IC: 1.5-3.8, p 0,0001 ), the metabolic syndrome ( OR:2,39, IC:1.4-3.9, p 0,0005 ) and hypercholesterolemia ( OR: 2,25, IC: 1.5-3.3, p 0,0001 ) were significantly associated with the development of the ischemic cardiopathy.Conclusions:  the ischemic cardiopathy is a frequent complication in the people with type II diabetes mellitus, and the factors with a greater influence in its development are: hypertension, the age (in women ≥ 55 and in men ≥ 45 years), the dyslipidemia and the metabolic syndrome.Introducción: el número de personas con diabetes mellitus (DM) se ha incrementado en los últimos años en forma dramática, convirtiéndose en un problema de salud a nivel mundial.Objetivo: determinar la frecuencia y los factores relacionados  con la aparición de cardiopatía isquémica  en personas con diabetes mellitus tipo 2.Método: se realizó un estudio transversal y descriptivo con 1005 pacientes ingresados en el Centro de Atención al Diabético de Bayamo, Granma en el período comprendido entre septiembre de 2008 a junio  de 2011.Resultados: del total de casos estudiados, 108 de ellos, un  10.7%, presentaron  cardiopatía isquémica. En  el análisis univariado se observó que la hipertensión arterial (OR: 4.61, IC: 2.4-8.5, p=0.0000), la edad en mujeres ≥55 y en   hombres ≥45 años (OR: 4.38, IC:2.5-7.5, p=0.0000), la hipertrigliceridemia (OR: 2.44, IC: 1.5-3.8, p=0.0001), el síndrome metabólico (OR:2.39, IC:1.4-3.9, p=0.0005) y  la hipercolesterolemia (OR: 2.25, IC: 1.5-3.3, p=0.0001) se asociaron significativamente con el desarrollo de cardiopatía isquémica.Conclusiones: se concluye que la cardiopatía isquémica es una complicación frecuente en las personas con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 de nuestro medio, y los factores que mayor influencia poseen en su desarrollo son: la hipertensión arterial, la edad (en mujeres ≥55 y en   hombres ≥45 años), la dislipidemia y el síndrome metabólico

Assessment of vehicle emissions projections in Madrid (Spain) from 2004 to 2012 considering several control strategies

Road transport is a major source of air pollutant emissions in European cities. Moreover, vehicle exhaust emissions have been the cause of much concern about the effects of urban air pollution on human health. Local authorities need to develop strategies to control vehicular emissions through technological and socioeconomical measures. For this reason, an efficiency assessment of possible future measures to reduce air pollution is required for future traffic planning, regulatory and fiscal initiatives. This paper presents the assessment of several mobility and technology scenarios that can be used for emission reductions in Madrid (Spain) in the period 2004–2012. Pollutants considered are those related to typical air quality problems in urban areas in Europe (SO2, NOx, NMVOC, heavy metals, CO and particulate matter) and CO2 as a greenhouse gas. Results show an expected increase in mobility but a decreasing trend in future traffic-related emissions, except for CO2. This reduction is due to technological improvements linked to European Legislation for road vehicles (Euro Standards). CO2 emissions are expected to increase because the technological improvements will not be able to counteract the effect of the large mobility increase. With regard to control strategies, the most effective measure for emission reductions is fleet renewal. According to the hypotheses made in the paper, this would reduce, on average, the pollutant emission by 16.04%. With regard to CO2 emissions, the use of biofuels and the decrease in mobility are the most effective measures

Carcinoma adenoideo quístico sólido parafaríngeo. A propósito de un caso

oai:www.revactamedicacentro.sld.cu:article/8Primary tumors of the parapharyngeal space are rare and account for only 0.5% of head and neck neoplasms. This space is an area similar to an inverted pyramid that begins at the base of the skull and extends to the greater horn of the hyoid bone, where its apex is located, and it is divided into two compartments: prestyloid and poststyloid. In the prestyloid portion, the salivary gland neoplasms, especially of the parotid gland, account for the majority of tumors. It is reported the case of a 41-year-old female patient with a history of lingual paresthesia, pain and trismus, who was diagnosed a solid adenoid cystic carcinoma of the left parotid deep lobe after conducting a transcervical-mandibular approach.  Los tumores primarios del espacio parafaríngeo son raros y representan solo el 0.5% de las neoplasias de cabeza y cuello. Este espacio es un área parecida a una pirámide invertida que empieza en la base del cráneo y se extiende hasta el cuerno mayor del hueso hioides, donde ubica su ápice, y se divide en dos compartimentos: preestiloideo y postestiloideo. En la porción preestiloidea las neoplasias de glándulas salivales, sobretodo de glándula parótida, representan la mayoría de los tumores. Se presenta el caso de una paciente femenina de 41 años, con antecedentes de parestesia lingual, dolor y trismo, en la que se diagnosticó un carcinoma adenoideo quístico sólido del lóbulo profundo de la parótida izquierda luego de realizar un abordaje transcervical-mandibular

Effects of in situ Remediation With Nanoscale Zero Valence Iron on the Physicochemical Conditions and Bacterial Communities of Groundwater Contaminated With Arsenic

Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI) is a cost-effective nanomaterial that is widely used to remove a broad range of metal(loid)s and organic contaminants from soil and groundwater. In some cases, this material alters the taxonomic and functional composition of the bacterial communities present in these matrices; however, there is no conclusive data that can be generalized to all scenarios. Here we studied the effect of nZVI application in situ on groundwater from the site of an abandoned fertilizer factory in Asturias, Spain, mainly polluted with arsenic (As). The geochemical characteristics of the water correspond to a microaerophilic and oligotrophic environment. Physico-chemical and microbiological (cultured and total bacterial diversity) parameters were monitored before and after nZVI application over six months. nZVI treatment led to a marked increase in Fe(II) concentration and a notable fall in the oxidation-reduction potential during the first month of treatment. A substantial decrease in the concentration of As during the first days of treatment was observed, although strong fluctuations were subsequently detected in most of the wells throughout the six-month experiment. The possible toxic effects of nZVI on groundwater bacteria could not be clearly determined from direct observation of those bacteria after staining with viability dyes. The number of cultured bacteria increased during the first two weeks of the treatment, although this was followed by a continuous decrease for the following two weeks, reaching levels moderately below the initial number at the end of sampling, and by changes in their taxonomic composition. Most bacteria were tolerant to high As(V) concentrations and showed the presence of diverse As resistance genes. A more complete study of the structure and diversity of the bacterial community in the groundwater using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) and sequencing of the 16S rRNA amplicons by Illumina confirmed significant alterations in its composition, with a reduction in richness and diversity (the latter evidenced by Illumina data) after treatment with nZVI. The anaerobic conditions stimulated by treatment favored the development of sulfate-reducing bacteria, thereby opening up the possibility to achieve more efficient removal of As.This research was partially co-funded by the research project NANOBIOWASH CTM2016-75894-P (AEI/FEDER, UE), by the European Commission (project LIFE I+DARTS, LIFE11 ENV/ES/000547), and from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement No. 309517 (NANOREM)

Validity and reliability of the satel 40 HZ stabilometric force platform for measuring quiet stance and dynamic standing balance in healthy subjects

Background: A force platform must have validity and reliability for optimal use. The objective of this study was to analyze the validity and the reliability of the Satel 40 Hz stabilometric force platform. Methods: A study of instrumental validity and reliability, involving a cross-sectional correlational and comparative analysis was performed. To determine the validity, four certified weights located on three axes were used and the ability of the stabilometric force platform to detect changes in the position of the different axes was observed. A test–retest was performed to analyze the reliability. Forty-two symptom-free volunteers participated in the study. Assessments were taken in a standing static position and in a dynamic position, with the eyes open and closed. Three measurements were taken and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. Results: The validity increased as the weight increased for all the variables measured in the stabilometric parameters (p < 0.05). The reliability was shown to be good to excellent for the two visual conditions. The positional variables obtained a higher ICC. The variable with the best ICC was the Y mean in OE (ICC 0.874 and a p < 0.001). All the values showed an increase in a dynamic situation. Conclusion: The findings support the reliability and validity of the Satel 40 Hz stabilometric force platform. The platform could be recommended to evaluate static and dynamic standing balance in healthy adult individuals. Guidelines for treatment and the level of quality of stabilometry could be obtained from its use

Medication Non-Adherence in Rheumatology, Oncology and Cardiology: A Review of the Literature of Risk Factors and Potential Interventions

Medication adherence is directly associated with health outcomes. Adherence has been reviewed extensively; however, most studies provide a narrow scope of the problem, covering a specific disease or treatment. This project’s objective was to identify risk factors for non-adherence in the fields of rheumatology, oncology, and cardiology as well as potential interventions to improve adherence and their association with the risk factors. The project was developed in three phases and carried out by a Steering Committee made up of experts from the fields of rheumatology, oncology, cardiology, general medicine, and hospital and community pharmacy. In phase 1, a bibliographic review was performed, and the articles/reviews were classified according to the authors’ level of confidence in the results and their clinical relevance. In phase 2, 20 risk factors for non-adherence were identified from these articles/reviews and agreed upon in Steering Committee meetings. In phase 3, potential interventions for improving adherence were also identified and agreed upon. The results obtained show that adherence is a dynamic concept that can change throughout the course of the disease, the treatments, and other factors. Educational interventions are the most studied ones and have the highest level of confidence in the authors’ opinion. Information and education are essential to improve adherence in all patients

Investigación básica experimental para la definición de los parámetros críticos en el proceso de obtención de soluciones concentradas de propóleos (SCP)

Introducción: los procesos de obtención de SCP han sido desarrollados por diferentes investigadores tanto a nivel nacional como internacional. Objetivo: definir los parámetros críticos del proceso de obtención de SCP, para incrementar el rendimiento y la calidad de este producto y sus derivados. Métodos: se utilizó el método de purificación de Pichansky, con algunas modificaciones en las siguientes variables: relación masa/volumen, concentración del etanol y el tiempo de agitación. Los materiales utilizados están avalados por el Sistema de Gestión de Calidad del Centro. Resultados: las variantes #2 y #4 del proceso de extracción, utilizadas a escala de laboratorio, son las de mejores resultados, ya que se obtuvo un rango de porcentaje sólidos totales entre un 12,4 y 14,3 %, con un rendimiento entre un 48,5 y 83,0 %; siendo seleccionada la variante #4 para elaborar los lotes experimentales a escala de reactor. Conclusiones: las variables estudiadas: tiempo de agitación, concentración de etanol y relación masa/volumen, así como el porcentaje de los sólidos totales, el porcentaje del rendimiento y las propiedades organolépticas, respondieron positivamente en las variantes #2 y #4, las cuales permitieron cumplir con los objetivos propuestos en esta investigación, y pueden emplearse en la elaboración de los lotes productivos dependiendo de la concentración de las soluciones alcohólicas de propóleos que se quieran producir.Introduction: SCP's processes of obtaining Propolis have been developed by different investigators so much nationally like international. Objective: To define SCP's critical parameters of the process of obtaining, to increment the performance and the quality of this product and his by-products. Methods: Pichansky's method of purification, with some modifications was utilized to the variables following: Relation mass/volume, concentration of ethanol and the time of agitation. The utilized materials are guaranteed for the Quality Management System of the Center. Results: The variants #2 and #4 of the process of extraction, utilized to scale of laboratory, gave better results, obtaining percentage's range solid totals between 12.4 and 14.3 %, with a performance between 48.5 and 83.0 %. Variant #4 was selected in order to make the experimental lots at reactor scale. Conclusions: the studied variables: Time agitation, concentration of ethanol and the relation mass/volume, as well as the percentage of the solid totals, the percentage of the performance and organoleptic properties, of variants #2 and #4, allowed carrying out the objectives proposed in this investigation. These variables responded positively in the variants and can be used in the elaboration of the productive lots considering the concentration of alcoholic propolis' solutions required